Surprising NFL draft prospects to watch in Week 5

Wake Forest QB Jamie Newman has been a pleasant surprise so far this season. (Getty Images)

Week 5 in college football lacked pizzazz compared to last week but these NFL draft prospects shone and managed to up their stock.

Here are the five prospects to watch in Week 5:

Wake Forest QB Jamie Newman at Boston College

Jamie Newman wasn’t on most board's draft lists this summer. He even had to compete with former starter Sam Hartman in camp just to get the job.

The quarterback’s strong performance in camp was what earned him the starting nod. Head coach Dave Clawson might have mined a diamond in a rough.

Newman put himself on the radar after an opening-week win over Utah State. He outdueled Jordan Love by completing 34 of 47 passes.


The Wake Forest starting QB's passes had four clear drops for 401 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for 36 yards and a score and has completed 71.1 percent of his passes for 1,278 yards and a 12-2 TD-INT ratio. 

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Newman has just the right built for the position. He also has natural arm talent and poise while having complete faith in his receivers. 


Wake Forest WR Scotty Washington dropped three of  four passes in the Utah State game but Newman continued going to him. 

Newman's performance this week earned hi, more attention as a future draft prospect. He can even end up being a surprise 2020 draft entrant at this rate.


If Newman continues at this pace, he might be the first QB drafted from Wake Forest since Mike Elkins in Round 2 of the 1989 NFL Draft.

Ohio State RB J.K. Dobbins at Nebraska

Ohio State gave RB J.K. Dobbinsa breather last week after demolishing Miami 76-5. The Buckeyes asked to carry the ball only eight times (for 52 yards and a score) and catch one 9-yard pass. 

Dobbins ran a combined 39 times for 334 yards in the two prior games against Florida Atlantic and Indiana. He scored four touchdowns on his 42 carries.

Things are going good for the Buckeyes’ offense. QB Justin Fields has entered the Heisman Trophy conversation. Dobbins on the other hand has been doing equally well on his position averaging 7 yards per carry and scoring six touchdowns total on 73 touches.

Dobbins is a well-built, one-cut runner.  He can run the north-south well. He also displays good straight-line burst and can break a big run in space in a very short time. 

The 5-10, 214-pound RB needs space to operate best though. Dobbins has drawn comparisons to Philadelphia Eagles 2019 second-rounder Miles Sanders.

He is just a big game away from being included in the discussion as one of the top five backs for the 2020 NFL draft class. 

Notre Dame TE Cole Kmet vs. Virginia

There was a lot of hype surrounding Cole Kmet being a breakout star. That hype was put n hold after a broken collarbone in camp prevented him from playing until last Saturday.

Kmet seemed to still have rust with three penalties, one dropped pass. He also looked gassed by game’s end at Georgia.

The Fighting Irish trusted him enough to play 62 of a possible 64 snaps on offense. The team fell short but Kmet showed potential. The Tight End opened eyes with nine catches for 108 yards and a score, most of it coming in the first half. 

The 6-6, 258-pound Kmet showed his all-around skills this season. He just has to work more on his conditioning and technique to be considered a top prospect. 

Kmet already has an 
impressive momentum from  last week’s performance. He just needs to build off it.

Virginia EDGE-LB Charles Snowden at Notre Dame

Charles Snowden is a specimen. The 6-foot-7, 232-pound LB is a long and angular defender.

Snowden's condor-like wingspan lines up both right and left sides outside. The Cavs employ a 3-4 defense which mostly rushes the passer. 

Snowden can also drop into short zones, play as an off-the-ball linebacker, spy quarterbacks, and even walk out as a slot corner on occasion. He is also versatile enough to contribute on special teams (punt return, punt coverage and both field-goal units) which appeal to NFL scouts.

The junior earned 
Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week honors afters a career high 15-tackle performance against Old Dominion. Snowden cranked up the intensity after Virginia fell behind 17-7 in that game. 

Snowden is fairly young in the game having spent only two years playing high school football. He still gets knocked back and off his feet quite a bit but has clearly improved in gaining leverage when taking on blocks.

There still are questions whether Snowden fits the NFL game but so are a ton of undrafted prospects in the past. It isn't certain if Snowden will declare for the 2020 NFL Draft.

If not, he still has another season if he thinks his draft stock can improve. 

Texas Tech LB Jordyn Brooks at Oklahoma

Jordyn Brooks started catching eyes a few weeks ago during Texas Tech’s game against Arizona. He finished with 13 tackles and a fumble recovery despite being more active in the first half.

Brooks stands 6-1 and weighs 240-pound. He has to show Brooks NFL scouts if he has a three-down ability against high-octane offensive teams. 

The problem is Texas Tech’s 3-3-5 defensive system. It showed vulnerability at times being up front to speed runs and play-action passing. Brooks needs to show an ability to read his keys and make plays near the line of scrimmage.

Brooks isn't expected to be one of those players who increase their draft stock at the NFL scouting combine, but he can open some eyes after running a sub-4.7-second 40-yard dash at Tech’s junior day.

Despite a visible lack of length and athleticism, Brooks has good mental toughness and a knack for making plays which makes him a possible top-100 pick.


Which prospect impressed you the most? Let us know in the comments below.

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